Sunday, December 07, 2008

Unboxed - For Innovators, There Is Brainpower in Numbers - NYTimes.com

This has interesting implications for collaboration modus operandi; see the full article for context-setting

Brainstorming, Mr. Boyd says, is the most overused and underperforming tool in business today. Traditionally, brainstorming revolves around the false premise that to get good ideas, a group must generate a large list from which to cherry-pick. But researchers have shown repeatedly that individuals working alone generate more ideas than groups acting in concert. Among the problems are these: Throwing in an idea for public consideration generates fear of failure, and workers looking to advance their own interests often keep their best ideas to themselves until a more opportune time.